Charlton boss Lee Bowyer on Birmingham City job link + why it is a waiting game for next season’s playing budget

Lee Bowyer has made no plans for next season – insisting his sole focus is on keeping Charlton in the Championship.

The Addicks manager has been linked with Birmingham City, who parted company with Pep Clotet on Wednesday night.

“I’m a young boss who has got a lot of press along the way,” said Bowyer, who was shortlisted for June’s Manager of the Month award. “I’ve got linked to a few other jobs before, so it doesn’t surprise me that I’m linked to this one.

“There’s been no contact. I had two-and-a-half great years there [at Birmingham]. The last time the club did anything good was when I was a player there and we won the League Cup. But the only thing I’m thinking about is keeping Charlton in the division – that’s it.”

It was announced in June that a consortium led by Manchester businessman Paul Elliott had taken control of running Charlton. They are in the process of applying to pass the EFL’s directors and owners test as well as being required to satisfy source and sufficiency of funding.

Asked if there had been any budget plans made for next season, Bowyer replied: “No conversation. There’s so much that is up in the air – what division, what the budget is and what type of player we can go for.

“The budget is the first thing we need to know – what we have to work with. There is no point putting a plan together for a lot of players who are out of your pricetag.

“It was difficult enough last summer to get the squad together. Because our budget was so much smaller it meant we were looking at a different financial level to everyone else in the Championship.”